RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Citrobacter spp. is an opportunistic bacteria that have been recognized as significant pathogens in patients with underlying diseases or immunocompromised status. The aim of this study was to identify extended-spectrum ß-lactamases in clinical isolates of Citrobacter spp. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Hospital Central "Dr. Ignacio Morones Prieto" in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Nineteen isolates of Citrobacter spp. were obtained from clinical specimens between April to December 2015. Four isolates were resistant to third-generation cephalosporins. The presence of genes encoding ESBL (bla CTX-M-15, bla TEM-1, bla VEB-1, bla SHV, and bla PER-1) was analyzed by PCR. For this purpose, plasmid DNA was extracted and horizontally transferred to recipient E. coli Top 10. RESULTS: bla CTX-M-15 and bla VEB-1 genes were detected in Citrobacter freundii and Citrobacter sedlakii, whereas bla PER-1 gene was identified in 1 isolate of Citrobacter freundii. In contrast, bla SHV gene was not detected in any isolate. One strain carried bla CTX-M-15, bla TEM-1, bla VEB-1, and bla PER-1 genes, most in a 275-kb plasmid. CONCLUSION: This study shows the presence of different types of ESBL in clinical isolates of Citrobacter freundii and Citrobacter sedlakii, which confer resistance to broad-spectrum ß-lactams. The plasmid identified in this study harboring ESBL genes could play an important role in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance.
